Diversity is Beautiful

Growing up in a simple and conservative home from West Virginia, I thought of diversity as being a negative thing. My family lives "up a holler" and goes to church every Sunday morning. They live a very simple life. In elementary school, there was only one black student in my class. I guess you could say that my whole community was ignorant of how powerful diversity is. Somewhere along the way, my family has been taught that dating a person outside of your race is wrong, being homosexual is a sin, and that Democrats are the "devil". I don't blame them for the way that they feel. When a person has never been exposed to the world beyond their front porch, it is hard to blame them for what they do not know. In this article, I will discuss how I have managed to educate myself about diversity, why I am glad that I did, and how it has made me a better person. Hopefully this will enlighten others of how being different isn't always bad.

Most people have a different definition of what diversity means. In a way, that's a good example of how diversity works. People develop different feelings and thoughts about a lot of issues. As for myself, it took me some time to put my meaning of the word on paper. In my opinion, diversity means people from different backgrounds coexisting with one another. I find diversity to be a beautiful thing. As I mentioned before, I grew up in a family that unknowingly made me think that if someone was different from me it was a bad thing. By thinking this way, I always felt that I should stay away from people who weren't like me. My parents never said those words exactly; however, I knew it would be taboo to bring home a black male to meet my parents. Also, to this day, I'm not sure how well they would accept the fact that a very close friend of mine is gay?

How did I break away from my family's ideologies? I maintained an open heart and mind. I love life and everyone who loves to live it. Going to college, traveling and mountain biking has allowed me to meet a variety of people. I also have managed to make many friends during these adventures. I took my religious background and read the Bible for myself. In my Bible, I see that Jesus died for everyone. Everyone includes those who are different from me. No matter what color someone is, what religion they practice, what gender they are, or who they are in love with, I love them because God does. I feel this is a very simple concept to follow. I've been on this earth for 26 years and it hasn't failed me yet.

One thing that I have learned is that diversity is beautiful. I have made some wonderful friends who I would have never met if I were stuck in the mind frame I grew up in. Do I regret where I came from. By no means am I ashamed of the roots my life stem from. I adore my family and thank them for the many values that they have taught me. By keeping my family close, I am a living example of what diversity is all about. My family is Republican, I am Democrat. My family doesn't believe in homosexuality, and my best friend is gay. My family looks down on interracial relationships, I know many people who have adorable children created from different races, and don't look at them any differently. My family would never hold a conversation with someone who doubts there is a God, and I show these people God's love by not treating them any different for the way they think.

I am a better person by knowing that diversity is a good thing. It has allowed me to really know who I am. I am confident of my personal beliefs by comparing them with the lifestyles and beliefs of others. By knowing what this world has to offer, I do not wonder if I'm really the person I could be or should be. I have been able to make many friends along my journey and I know it is because of my love of diversity.